For enrolled students

Setup weekend.
Be ready before Day 1.

Complete everything below before Monday June 15. Takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Do it this weekend so you hit the ground running.

1.5 – 2 hours total
Complete by Sun Jun 14
Laptop or desktop only

Claude Pro — required for Cowork

Cowork is the Claude desktop app and requires a Claude Pro subscription — separate to your CRTFD program fee. It costs $20 USD/month, billed directly by Anthropic. Go to claude.ai and upgrade to Pro before you install anything. Questions? Email mentor@crtfd.com.au.

1

Download and install Cowork

~10 minutes

Cowork is the Claude desktop app — it lets Claude access your files, apps, and browser directly on your computer. It's what turns you into an AI operator. Download it from Anthropic's official site, install it, and sign in with the same Claude.ai account your Pro subscription is on.

Claude Desktop (Cowork)

Mac and Windows available — Linux coming soon

Download from claude.ai
Claude Pro subscription active on claude.ai
Cowork downloaded and installed
Signed in with my Claude.ai account
2

Mount your working folder

~5 minutes

Mounting a folder lets Claude access your files directly — so you can say "summarise the document in my Downloads folder" and it actually can. You'll use this constantly in the program.

In Cowork, go to Settings → Filesystem Access (or click the folder icon in the sidebar). Click Add Folder and select your Desktop or Documents folder. Start with one folder — you can add more later.

Cowork only accesses folders you explicitly grant. Claude cannot read anything outside those folders.
At least one folder mounted in Cowork
3

Connect your first connector

~10 minutes

Connectors let Claude talk to other tools — Google Drive, Notion, web browsers, and more. Connecting one now gets you familiar with the interface and ready for Week 2 when we go deep on connectors.

In Cowork, click Connectors in the sidebar. Pick any one connector you already use — Google Drive is the easiest if you have a Google account. Click it, follow the auth steps, and confirm it connects successfully.

Don't have Google Drive? Any other connector works — even the Web Search connector (no auth required).
At least one connector connected and confirmed working
4

Your three first wins

~30 minutes — the fun part

Everything above was setup. This is where you actually start. These aren't optional — they're your first proof that you can do this. Complete all three before Monday.

Three wins before Day 1
Each one builds on the last
Win 1

Ask Claude about a file on your desktop

Open Cowork. Make sure your Desktop or Documents folder is mounted. Then type this in a new conversation:

Look at the files in my mounted folder and tell me what you can see. List them and describe what each file type is used for.

If Claude lists your files back to you — that's it. Cowork is connected and working. That's your first real AI-on-your-computer moment.

Win 2

Write your professional bio with Claude

Open claude.ai in your browser (or use Cowork). Copy this prompt, fill in your details, and send it:

You are a professional introduction writer.

Write a 3-sentence professional bio for me. My name is [your name]. I am a VA with experience in [your background]. I am now training to become an AI operator.

Keep it warm, confident, and under 60 words.

Save the output to a Google Doc titled CRTFD Portfolio — [Your Name]. That's your first portfolio entry.

Win 3

Introduce yourself to the cohort

Post the bio Claude just wrote for you in the cohort WhatsApp group. Add one sentence about what you're most excited or nervous about. Your cohort will be glad you showed up.

Win 1 done — Claude listed my files from Cowork
Win 2 done — bio saved to portfolio doc
Win 3 done — introduced myself in the cohort group

You're ready for Day 1.

All three wins done, progress bar full. The portal opens June 15 at 12:00am AEST. See you Monday — Tommy, Tony and James will be there.

Go to student portal